Baby John
by Phoenix Borealis
Summary: One year after Tony and Riff's deaths a new gang, the JP's, moves in on Jet turf, bringing with them a frightened young girl who seeks refuge in Doc's Candy Store and in sympathetic Baby John's heart. PS: Thank you guys so much for being patient with me! Chapter 4 is small, but it's up. Also, the story image will make sense.
1. An Icy Rule

Almost a year had passed since Riff and Tony left the scene. Ice did well enough to lead the Jets since then, but Baby John always felt some level of unease whenever a new gang got too close for comfort. Riff was smart about things. A jump or two was usually all it took to send their rivals packing. He never even thought about war until the gang actually moved in. The first gang to ever do that was the PR gang._ The Sharks_, remembered Baby John as he walked through the dark playground, his best friend, A-Rab at his side.

"What's a matter with you, Baby John?" he asked. "You ain't said a word since we left Doc's. Something eatin' you?"

"Aw, nothin's wrong, A-Rab. I just been thinking is all," he replied honestly, coming out of his thoughts.

"About what?"

Baby John paused, not sure if he should say anything about it, but when A-Rab asked again, he answered, "Mostly about Riff. What he woulda done about the JP's." A-Rab bit the corner of his mouth, considering the question himself.

"He probly woulda called those phony Jet Packs to a war counsel, same as Ice." He shrugged.

Baby John felt a pinch of anger and disappointment in his answer. "You know Riff wouldn'ta done that, A-Rab, and so does Ice. So, why would he want to do what Riff don't want?" When they reached the gate out of the play ground, Baby John stopped to show A-Rab that this was important to him. A-Rab went past the gate and turned around, reaching up to hold onto the chain-link fence. The shadows of the fence covered his face as he spoke.

"I don't know why he wants to do this, Baby John. And we don't have to worry about it for a while anyway. Velma's got him busy enough for us to figure out what we're gonna say to him, alright?"

Baby John nodded, "Okay." He stepped out through the gate and joined A-Rab, who thumped him on the back. Nobody understood Baby John as much as A-Rab, not even Minnie. He winced a little, remembering how Minnie left Manhattan shortly after Tony died.

_They stood near the high way, watching the cops take Riff and Bernardo's bodies away. Baby John had tears in his eyes, but he tried to ignore them so he could comfort Minnie. "Come with me," she said for the fifth or sixth time. "We can go somewhere far away and forget about everything."_

_"But I don't_ want _to forget everything, Minnie," he said sadly. "The Jets are my brothers. I can't leave them. They need me."_

_"Please?" she asked desperately. "_I_ need you."_

_"Th-then prove it," he said, feeling a little bold. "If you really need me, stay with me." He took her hands in his. "I'll take care of you as long as you need me to. Only just stay here."_

_Minnie yanked her hands away, making Baby John jump. Angry, she turned and walked off into the darkness, never to be seen again._

In some ways, Baby John blamed himself for what happened, but he also knew that he couldn't have stopped her from leaving. "She always liked Tony," he said in a daze of thought.

"Who did?" A-Rab asked. "Maria?"

Baby John shook his head, realizing that his last thought was out loud. If anybody else was there, he would have taken the easy way out, but this was A-Rab. Baby John couldn't lie to A-Rab. "No. I mean Minnie..."

"Oh." They didn't speak again until they got to the hideout-an old parking garage the gang always met at when they needed a place to go cool down. A-Rab lit a truck's headlights to signal their arrival. Tiger and Action came out first, then Snowboy showed up, fitting a deck of beat-up cards into a dirty old card box. "Hey, buddy boys," said A-Rab, "Where's Ice?"

"Where else?" said Snowboy, tossing the deck to the side, "with Velma at the dance hall, patrolling for JP's."

"He wanted us to help," Big Deal joined in, coming into the light, "but we don't think they're even here yet."

"They haven't been for weeks," said Snowboy, leaning back against a mail truck.

Baby John looked around. "Hey. Where's Anybodys?"

Mouthpiece jumped down beside him from on top of a car, making him yelp a little. Some of the guys laughed. A-Rab smiled, he saw. Baby John tried to make light of it; even he knew he could be a bit sensitive. Mouthpiece spoke. "'In and out of the shadows.' Same thing Ice always tells her."

Tiger added, "He's got her wrapped around his long, skinny finger."

"She's just trying to do good for the gang," Baby John jumped to her defense. "Remember how long she waited before she became a Jet?" He looked around at all of them. "Nobody even gave her a chance until Ice stepped in."

"Aw ain't that sweet," Joyboy teased as he walked in. "A man stepping in to defend his woman. Baby John, your chivalry abounds." He bowed mockingly. Baby John blushed. He never really liked Anybodys that way, but some of the boys still teased him for being too nice to her. The truth was that Anybodys was a tough woman with a short fuse and Baby John respected her for it. Well, feared was probably the better word, but he never wanted to admit a thing like that to himself.

"Sh-shut up, Joyboy," he said with his embarrassingly unconvincing stutter.

"Sh-shut up, Joyboy," he mimicked.

"Hey, knock it off!" A-Rab intervened, stepping forward. "Baby John don't need this. He's got a lot on his mind. We all do." Everybody went silent for a moment, not really thinking about anything. Snowboy picked up his cards again, shoving them into his pocket. Baby John looked around again at everybodys' faces. Tiger's Snowboy's, A-Rab's. Action, Big Deal, Mouthpiece. Joyboy. Gee-Tar was the last to show up again. He lived the farthest away and had the longest to walk to get there.

"What I miss?" he strolled in, looking around. "What's going on?"

"Nothin'," A-Rab said. "Just talking."

"Just finished," Joyboy corrected, walking off into the shadows, Snowboy and Tiger close behind.

"I guess we're just waiting for Ice and Anybodys to show up?" Baby John shrugged.

"They're the only ones left," Mouthpiece pointed out, turning the truck's lights off again. To keep the place lit enough to play a game of cards, they switched between different cars' head lights to avoid killing any of them over the night. Snowboy shuffled like a pro, dealing five cards out to each member except A-Rab and Baby John, who liked to watch the games more than play them.

"You sure you don't want a hand?" Snowboy asked them before dealing out again.

"I'm alright," Baby John said quietly, watching the game with interest.

"Go ahead," A-Rab nodded. Not only did they have more fun watching the Jets play Poker, but they also learned a lot themselves about reading other people and hiding their own expressions. Games between Baby John and A-Rab went on for hours, most of that time just them playing mind games with each other.

"Ooh! Who's winning?" Anybody's slid in on her knees right next to Tiger, looking at his hand. Tiger pulled his cards back, hiding them against his chest. Snowboy handed her five cards to join the game. "Gimme four," she said, laying three cards down. Baby John smiled, trying to suppress a laugh. Snowboy handed her three cards, a smirk on his own face. It was easy to tell who all had a bad hand, because the ones who all had good hands allowed themselves to smile at Anybodys' joke. Tiger was in trouble. So was Gee-Tar. They all revealed their hands. Most of them had nothing good. A pair of threes here, three twos there. Joyboy barely won with four sixes. Mouthpiece clicked his teeth in disappointment at his four fours. The games would have been more interesting if they had money to bet, but since a lot of them were broke most of the time, they just played for fun.

"Any JP's out tonight?" Snowboy asked, shuffling his ratty deck.

"One," Anybodys admitted. "I think it was Tawny."

"You jump him?" Tiger asked, leaning in.

"Nah," she waved him off, dismissing it. "He wasn't anywhere near our street when I found him. And he had a girl with him. I don't think he'd be stupid enough to bring a girl into Jet territory."

"Don't tell Ice you saw a JP and didn't bring him down fighting," Joyboy warned.

"I don't plan on it," she said. "I don't know what's got into him, but he's not as 'cool' as he used ta be."

"I think it's 'cause he's leading us now," Baby John said from his place beside A-Rab. "He's under a lot of pressure. He's never dealt with another gang before." He shrugged. "I still think he's doing it the wrong way though."

"He's doing it the only way he knows how," Anybodys said from behind her cards. "The only way any of us know how. We ain't Riff an' we ain't Tony neither." All of them went silent.

"Hey, c'mon guys. It's been a year," A-Rab said, stepping forward, turning one car's lights off and moving to another's. "Riff don't want us crying over him. He wants us to keep going. He wants us to be the best we can be. Tony too. Am I right?" Nobody said anything. "Am I right?" he asked again, waiting for some kind of response. Nothing. Baby John could feel himself getting emotional. He knew he had to leave before the others had a chance to see him cry. Without a word, he slipped off through the garage and out the barely-cracked door. He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, mad at himself for letting his emotions beat him up again. He heard A-Rab call after him, not sure where he had gone. He took off, hoping to get away before anybody had the chance to see him.

He walked down the barely-lit street, trying to find some way to take his mind off of Tony and Riff, and even Bernardo. Baby John saw all of them die. All of them, and-he shook his head, gasping and trying to control himself. He broke out in a run and before he knew it, he had a police car on his tail. He thought about running, but then he decided against it. He hadn't done anything wrong, and running from the cops would only make trouble for him that he didn't need. He slowed down and wiped his face again. Lucky for him it had rained not too long ago when he and A-Rab were at Doc's, so he could at least pretend that's why his face and hands were all wet. The car pulled up behind him and Lieutenant Schrank stuck his head out the window; Officer Krupke was driving.

"Hey there, Baby John," Schrank said, trying to sound nice.

"L-l-lieutenant Schrank... O-officer Krupke..." The cops were all used to Baby John's nervous stutter, so he didn't have to worry about hiding it. Schrank glanced at Krupke, then back at Baby John.

"What's a fine young boy doing out so late, uh? Where's your buddies?"

"I-I think Ice is at the social hall with V-velma," he said, staring down at his feet. "I was with A-Rab at Doc's...but I don't know where he is now." None of that was a lie exactly, so he was able to say it without giving anything away.

"You wouldn't be lying to us, would you, college boy?" Krupke said insultingly. Baby John was finishing high school with a full art scholarship waiting for him before the Jets' rumble with the Sharks a year ago. His scholarship was taken away right after that and his chances for college were ruined. He balled his fists, trying to keep himself under control. There's nothing the cops like better than a reason to lock up a kid from the streets.

Schrank raised his hands, palms out. "Easy now, Johnny boy, we want to help you. We can get you that fancy art scholarship back if you just work with us a little. The station got a report of a gang jumpin' on a couple a good, decent school kids. Just tell me who it was, and I can clear your record," he snapped his fingers, "like that."

Baby john tightened his fists. "Th-That ain't the Jets!" he shouted, offended. "That was them crummy JP's. The Jets never attack nobody that ain't a threat, so if you want me to tell you we did something bad, come back when you actually _see_ one of us doing all the things they say we do!" He noticed then that he lost his nervous stutter, but he was shaking and his cheeks were hot.

"Calm down, Baby John. We just wanted to ask you some questions."

"So far they're questions I ain't got the answers to. You want your answers; go find Tawny. I heard he was here."

Schrank looked at Krupke for a moment. Krupke shrugged. Schrank turned back to Baby John. "Thanks for the heads up, son. Stay out of trouble."

"Yeah, stay out of trouble," Krupke repeated, driving away, to find Tawny, Baby John hoped. The cops really didn't like the JP's either. Rival gangs meant more work for them. Baby John kicked rocks into the road as he walked along, feeling worse than when he left the hideout. He thought about the song the Jets wrote about Officer Krupke a year ago when Riff was still alive. Nobody could sing it better than Riff. Baby John tried his hand. That made him glad he was alone. He wasn't a bad singer, but nobody should ever try to sing when they're angry.

"College boy," he spat, kicking a pretty large rock out into the street. "What does he know? I don't have to go to college to do somethin' with my life. A lot of great guys never went to college." He didn't even try listing any. He wasn't very gifted for remembering names. A sniffeling sound caught his ear, making him stop in his tracks.

A stifled sob sounded from a nearby alleyway. Someone was hiding and trying to keep quiet. A smart guy might just let them hide. Baby John didn't know much, he thought, but he did know that whatever happened here, somebody needed help. He couldn't turn away; his big heart would never let him. Cautiously, he stepped closer to the alleyway.

Some of the street lights had gone out, leaving very little light in the alley. A lump rose in Baby John's throat as he stepped into the darkness. He would never forget what he saw there.


	2. A Brush with Death

A slender young woman with long, blonde hair crouched at the end of the alley, leaning against the wall with her arms around herself. Baby John took a step forward, his long shadow covering part of the girl's face. She looked up and opened her shadowed eyes. Seeing him, she screamed out loud and threw herself at the wall, facing away from him and cringing in fear. "Don't hurt me!" she wailed. "Please! I don't have anything left for you to take! Please just go away!" She clawed at the wall as if she might climb up and get away. Baby John froze up, scared stiff by her sudden and loud reaction to him. His heart thundered and his cheeks flushed.

"C-calm d-d-down," he sputtered. "I'm not going to hhurt you. I p-I promise." the girl stopped screaming and clawing at the wall, but she still shied away from him. "I'm John," he soothed, "Baby John. What's your name?" He ventured to take a step, making her cringe.

"It's-It's Emily. My name is Emily," she whimpered, still under the impression that she was in danger, Baby John thought.

"Emily," he repeated, trying to keep his voice soft and calm even though his heart was still aching from the scare he just had. "Are you alright?" _Stupid question! _he scolded himself, _Why do you always ask girls stupid questions?_ "Do you need any help?" He took another step forward, his shadow moving off of her face, revealing striking blue-green eyes, at least that's what they looked like to him. He couldn't exactly tell in the darkness.

"H-h-he's looking for me," she panicked, whipping her head in every direction as if she expected _him_, whoever _he _was, to drop out of the sky.

"Who is?" he asked, looking behind himself, suddenly aware that they might actually both be in danger.

"R-Rafael," she choked, trying her best to breathe through her rising panic and welling tears.

"Rafael? Rafe? Wait, he's the leader of the JP's." He looked back again, getting more nervous himself.

Emily nodded, shaking beyond all control. "He attacked me. He tried to"-she grabbed one of her wrists, which Baby John just now noticed was all bruised up, "...so I kicked him," she swallowed and gasped, "and now he's mad. I ran, but he chased me. He's looking for me! I can feel him getting closer!" Without warning, she threw herself at Baby John, clinging to his shirt. He caught her and held her somewhat awkwardly, not sure what he should do. "He's going to hurt me! He's going to kill me, I just know it!" She shivered against him, her blonde tangles falling over her face. "I just know it..."

He swept her hair back from her face and held her by the shoulders. "Hey. Hey, look at me." She did. "Nobody is going to hurt you, especially not one of the JP's. Not while I'm here, okay?" Her mouth quivered. "Listen. You're safe with me. I'm not going to let anything bad happen to you."

"Emily!" a voice boomed from the street. "I heard you! I know that's you in there!" Emily whimpered and her grip on Baby John's shirt tightened. He held her tighter, hoping himself that Rafe would just leave and search somewhere else. He turned so that only he was visible from the front of the alley. He looked back and saw a shorter, yet more muscular man than he was thunder to the entrance. Emily screamed and threw herself back to the wall. The shorter man, Rafe, smirked hauntingly. "Found you, Emily." She whimpered, helpless. Baby John stepped in between them, facing Rafe, his chest hammering and his body shaking.

"Step aside, boy," Rafe seethed.

"N-no," Baby John shot back. "Whatever you do, you should never hit a girl. It's wrong, and I won't let you hurt her or any other girl long as I'm around." Even though he was still shaking, he planted his feet where he was. Rafe took a step forward.

"Hey, you're one of them Jets, ain't ya? Baby John, right?"

"H-how do you know my name?" He swallowed.

Rafe laughed and stepped forward. "I heard all about yous. Ya can't go nowhere near Manhattan without hearing about the Jets, Johnny boy. You're their youngest member, ain't ya? I have to say you're a little braver than I expected," he reached toward him to push him aside, Baby John growing more and more tense the closer he got, "but I'm afraid you're still gonna have to-" right as Rafe touched him, Baby John reflexively threw a punch at him, landing him square on the kisser. He went down, spitting blood. He rubbed his jaw and turned to face Baby John. "Oh, bad decision, buddy boy." He launched at Baby John, knocking the wind out of him, then he punched him three times in the same place. His jaw cracked, but it wasn't broken, yet. Baby John tried to get up, But Rafe kneed him in the gut, keeping him down. He coughed and gasped, the pain in his ribcage making it difficult for him to breathe.

Rafe seized the screaming Emily by the wrist and dragged her to the end of the alleyway, kicking Baby John painfully in the back on the way out, making him groan in absolute misery. "Stop squirming you dumb broad, or you're gonna get a lot worse when we get home," he threatened. "Let this be a lesson to you, kid. Teach those other buddies of yours unless you all wanna end up dead. Let's go, Em." he pulled on her, dragging her with little effort.

Emily resisted with all her existing strength, prying at his hand and scraping her ankles bloody on the ground. Why was she barefoot? She screamed, "No! Please! Somebody help! John! Baby John! Please help me!" Baby John looked up at her. The terror in her eyes was all he needed to get him on his feet again. Ignoring the intense pain in his ribs, mouth and back, he charged at them both. The shock weakened Rafe's grip just enough for Emily to slide out and take off running. She tripped and fell in the street after stepping on a large rock.

Baby John tackled Rafe to the ground. They wrestled in the street, kicking, rolling and punching. Baby John tried to roll over Rafe so he had the advantage, but Rafe was too strong and he was forced under the angry brute. Baby John, although weakened from the beating he received, managed to knock Rafe off of him, but he held on, reaching behind himself. Maybe his back got hurt when they fell. They wrestled relentlessly until Baby John saw the familiar silvery glint of a weapon. Now fighting for his life, Baby John grappled for the knife, his heart pounding and his injuries numbing from the adrenaline. Rafe swung it down on him, but he blocked his arm just in time. He used that moment to deliver a powerful blow to Rafe's nose. Fresh blood sprayed his fist and shirt. He squeezed Rafe's wrist tight, making him release the knife. He grabbed it up and quickly dug it into Rafe's leg. Rafe bellowed and grabbed at his leg

Baby John rolled off of the screaming Rafe, yanking the knife out of him. A dark stain welled up on his pants leg. Baby John stood up and brandished the bloody knife at him. "Don't you ever, hurt another girl!" he shouted. "If I ever hear of you, hurting someone ever again, I'll make sure it ends up in m-more places, than your leg next time!"

Rafe pushed himself up, panting. The knife hadn't gone in deep enough to sever something important, but it made its point. "You'll regret this," he threatened. "Both of you!" Baby John fake lunged at him, making him yelp. He ran away as fast as his injured leg would carry him. Fighting was Baby John's least favorite part about gang life, but as much as he hated it, he had to admit to himself he was good. As soon as Rafe was out of sight, Baby John turned to where he had last seen Emily. She was still there, holding her injured foot. Baby John wiped the knife off on his already bloody shirt and tucked it away in the tongue of his shoe, which he had split open for exactly that purpose.

"Are you alright?" he asked, rubbing his bruising cheek. He was glad he ran into the cops before it all happened.

Emily nodded, shakily. "Thank you," she said gratefully. "Thank you so much. I thought he was going to hurt me."

"He won't ever do that again," he said softly. "Can you walk?"

"I can try..." She got up, took one step, then fell forward. Baby John caught her again, picking her up this time. "Please, you don't have to-"

"-Just until we can get you to a safe place. You're hurt. I don't want you walking on the street with bloody feet." He started walking, careful not to let his new weapon slice up his shoe.

They walked in silence for, was it ten minutes? Fifteen? Baby John lost track. "Where are we going?" she finally asked after almost nodding off.

"Somewhere better than here," he said, not wanting to say exactly where for fear of having Ice even more mad at him than he was going to be. "So, what were you doing all the way out here anyway? I thought the JP's lived farther away."

"I ran a long way," she said.

"Is that why you ain't wearing shoes?"

She nodded. "I had to get rid of them so I could get away."

"You didn't make no stops?" She shook her head. "And he still found you?"

"He's faster than I am. The only reason I almost got away was because kicking him gave me a head start."

"You must have a good kick to put him off that much." In the darkness, he barely saw Emily blush at the complement. He smiled and looked around to see where they were. "We're almost there," he said quietly. "Few minutes. How's your feet?"

"Fine. Thanks." She was saying this just to be nice, he was sure. Her feet must have hurt with how badly she scraped and banged them up trying to get away from Rafe.

"He really scares you, don't he." It wasn't a question. She frowned. He slowed down a little, not realizing it. "Why were you with him?"

"It's a long story," she said sullenly.

"Suppose you tell it? I got ears." He watched her with genuine curiosity and interest. It was a refreshing feeling; one he hadn't felt in a long time. Not since he met Minnie, he supposed.

"Thank you, Baby John. You're really very sweet. But I don't think I have enough time to tell it now. Besides, I don't want to think about Rafe anymore tonight. Can we talk about something else? Where are you from?" He felt his cheeks heat with pleasure when she called him sweet. He almost didn't hear her question.

"Uh, I'm from here. Born and raised. I never known anything outside of Manhattan. I almost had a chance to go to Chicago for art school, but..." He paused, trying to find the right words. '_I got in a fight so I couldn't go no more.' No. 'I lost my scholarship 'cause of the rumble...I got in some trouble, so...' _She looked up at him, returning his curiosity. "I...couldn't afford it."

She frowned. "I'm sorry."

"It ain't your fault." He shrugged. "Anyways, that's all over. I'm trying to do better for myself, but it can be hard in a place like this."

"Yeah," she said sympathetically, "I know." The parking garage came into view. "So, what do you do?"

"Huh?"

"You said you had a chance to go to art school. What do you do?"

He smiled, kind of glad that she asked. "I paint. I draw a little too, but I paint mostly."

"Can I see some?"

His eyes danced with joy at the thought of someone wanting to see his work. "Maybe." They got to the door. He set her down gently, trying to let her stand herself up. Keeping an arm wrapped around her for support, he opened the door. "Stay behind me," he whispered. She ducked under his arm nervously. He turned around and smiled at her. "It's not that bad. I just need to introduce you the right way or Ice might get mad at me. You're okay." She nodded, and they stepped inside, Emily leaning on him slightly to ease her suffering feet.

Lights came up almost immediately, illuminating Baby John, all covered in blood, but not Emily, as she was pretty well hidden for the moment. "Well, look who decided to come back," A-Rab grinned. His grin turned to worry almost as quickly as the lights came up. "What happen, Baby John? You get in a fight?"

"Uh...Yeah. A fight."

A-Rab started to walk toward him. "Who was it? Are ya hurt?"

Baby John put his hand up, trying to make it seem like everything was normal, but looking at A-Rab in a special way that they used to tell each other something's up. One of the good things that came out of watching the Jets play poker is that Baby John and A-Rab could have whole conversations without anybody knowing by just using their faces. A-Rab slowed, but kept coming. He tensed up, afraid of how A-Rab would react to Emily. The lights went out, leaving only the light back where everybody else was. "Come back with us," Ice said coolly. "You can tell us all what happened."

Baby John sighed. He turned to Emily and whispered "Wait here."

"Who you talking to?" A-Rab whispered, his eyes still adjusting to the dark.

"You'll see. Now come on." He put a reassuring hand on Emily's shoulder, then walked toward the light.

"That blood yours?" Ice asked as soon as they came into the light.

"N-no, Ice, it ain't."

"Well then whose is it?" Ice was trying to sound concerned, but he always came off as cold, no matter how he talked.

"Well, it's...Rafe's." He slipped the knife out of his shoe and handed it to Ice. "And so's this."

Ice took the knife and studied it. Its blade was smeared with the blood that didn't come off on Baby John's shirt. It looked like harmless tomato sauce on a butter knife. Baby John always found it hard to eat pasta with red sauce. Sometimes it made him physically sick. "You won this off him?"

"Yeah."

"Well done," Ice praised, handing the knife back to him. He sat down and leaned against a car.

"You jump him or he jump you?" Anybodys asked, scooting in curiously.

"Uh. That's not exactly, how it happened..."

Tiger asked, "Well, how _did_ it happen?" A couple of the others echoed him: "Yeah, tell us, Baby John. Tell us..."

Baby John didn't know whether he should feel touched by everyone's concern or worried about how they'll react when he tells them and brings Emily out. "Well, uh, I guess I should start with what happened after I left the hideout. I went out for a...walk." He wasn't about to tell them that he was running away from his feelings like a pansy. "I saw Schrank and Krupke on the street." Ice's eyes flashed interest. He watched Baby John carefully. The look on his face made Baby John's stomach knot up. "Th-they told me they heard about a gang jumpin' some school kids. I got mad and told them that wasn't us. Then I told them I heard that Tawny was in town."

"Tawny?" Ice repeated, sitting up some more. "Who'd you hear that from?" Worry crossed Anybodys' face.

"N-nobody," Baby John said, starting to get nervous.

"You're story don't make sense, Baby John," Ice said coldly, standing up. "How can you hear somethin' from nobody?"

"I, didn't mean nobody. I mean, I don't know who it was I heard it from. It was dark, and I only heard talk." The rest of the gang watched him, all completely aware that he was lying through his teeth. Anybodys saw Tawny not two hours ago, or at least she thought she did. Baby John was sure it was Rafe since she said he had a girl with him.

"Where'd you hear it?" asked Mouthpiece, enjoying the rare moment of watching Baby John tell an outright lie to the leader of the toughest gang in the West Side. Anybodys elbowed him hard, making him grunt.

"Oh, uh, I heard it at...Doc's."

"The candy store?" Ice raised an eyebrow. "It was dark in the candy store, so you couldn't see who was talking..."

A-Rab came up beside Baby John and spoke in his defense. "It was outside of Doc's, after the store closed. I heard it too." Ice seemed to accept this and waved for Baby John to continue his story.

"Thanks," mouthed Baby John secretly as everyone adjusted to hear the rest of the story. "Well, anyway, Krupke and Schrank drove off to find Tawny, and I kept walking. Then I heard something. I wasn't really sure what it was, so I followed it to the back of an alley..." He paused, trying to think of how to word his thoughts carefully. "Uh, Ice?"

"Mm..." Ice tipped his head.

"Uh...When I tell you this next part, you gotta promise not to get mad at me."

His look suddenly turned serious and questioning. "Why would I get mad at you, buddy boy?"

"Y-you'll find out. Just promise not to get mad and I'll tell you."

"I don't promise nothin' to you long as you don't tell me." Baby John swallowed nervously. There was an icy pause.

"Just tell him what ya done, Baby John," Anybodys said suddenly. "You used to think letting a PR go without jumping him would make Riff mad. It can't be that bad."

A-Rab put a hand on his shoulder, "It'll be okay, buddy. Just tell us what ya did."

There was no backing down now. He had to tell them. He lowered his gaze in Ice's direction. "Wait here."

He walked over to where he had left Emily. He tried looking for her, but being in the light so long, he couldn't see well in the dark. He walked into her, pushing her back a little. She gasped in surprise. "Sorry," he whispered right away, blushing a little. He held his hand out for her to take. She shook her head. "Emily, it's okay. Nobody's going to get mad at you." She whimpered a little. He reached the rest of the way out and felt for her hand. When he found it, she flinched, but kept her hand there. He lifted it gently, letting it rest in his hand. Her fingers were cold and shaking. She was afraid of Ice, like most people are when they first see him. He spoke to her in a calming way. "It's your decision, but everything will be alright if you come with me. I promise."

"Baby John?" he heard someone call from the light.

Hesitantly, Emily let him help her over to the light. They stepped around the corner of a truck and into view. The whole gang broke out in whispers. "Baby John," Big Deal gaped. "You didn't."

"He did," Snowboy said.

Anybodys sighed in relief. "I thought you was going to bring a dead body in here."

"Does he look like the kind that would kill somebody?" A-Rab said, looking a little offended for Baby John.

"Everybody be quiet," Ice said loudly, without yelling. Everybody stopped talking right away. He was good at that, commanding the situation. That's what made him leader after Riff died. "Now...Who's that?"

"She's, uh-"

"-That's Emily," Joyboy blurted out before Baby John could finish his thought.

Gee-Tar gasped, "She's Rafe's girl!" The rest of the gang looked at Baby John like he ate a bowl of nails in front of them. Ice walked toward them, making Emily grab Baby John's arm nervously.

"What's she doing here?" Baby John swallowed again.

"Well. Th-that's what I been trying to tell you. She's, well, she's kinda with me."

He raised an eyebrow. Ice was the only one Baby John knew who could raise an eyebrow and still seem threatening. "What?"

"Uh, I mean, not _with_ me. Not like that, but she's, uh, sh-sh-she's hurt and, uh, Rafe was making things, b-bad and-"

"-Hey, hey, slow down, buddy boy," he said calmly. "I'm not here to get mad with you as long as I get the truth. What happened after you got to the alley?" Baby John took a deep breath and continued very slowly.

"Well, uh, wwwhen I got to the alley, I saw her there and, and she was upset. I...I asked her if she was alright when Rafe showed up. He had been chasing her, s-s-so I told him to b-back off. We started fighting and he pulled a knife on me. I got him away and stabbed him in the leg. That's how I got this." He showed them all the blood on his shirt and the knife in his hand. "When he ran off, she was lying in the street. She hurt herself trying to get away. I couldn't leave her there, Ice, I just couldn't. Please don't get mad."

Ice watched them both, blinking for a moment. Then he spoke. "This is a pretty serious offense, Baby John. Bringing a rival to a hideout is a big responsibility. It's your job to make sure she don't go talkin' now." He looked at her in a way that made her squeeze Baby John's arm tighter.

"I-I won't say anything, sir, I swear!" she rasped with a dry throat.

"You look like you're about to faint, girl," Ice commented. "I ain't a bad guy. I'm just trying to look out for _my_ family, got it? As long as you ain't a threat to us, I ain't a threat to you, alright?" She nodded shakily. Ice looked at Baby John sternly. "Now listen up and listen good, Baby John. The girl's seen our place, so she can't go back to her cushy little JP's. So long as she's breathing, you don't lose sight of her, got it? You lose her, you're gonna pay the price. We all gotta lay low until we know how the JP's are gonna respond to stealing the leader's girl. If they get violent, you can't be afraid to fight back. If they come here looking for her, jump 'em no matter where they are, no matter who they're with, no matter what they're doing. If they want to go to war to get her back. Well then, buddy boys," he nodded his head, "we're going to war. Everybody understand?"

"I still can't believe he brought a JP girl in here," Mouthpiece said.

"That ain't the question!" He turned to Baby John.

"I-I understand, Ice. I'll be careful. I won't let her go, but..." His gut went icy with the stare he was getting.

"But...?" He crossed his arms.

Baby John licked his lips. "She needs a place to stay. I can't bring her back to the apartment. My parents won't let her stay. I don't think I can pay for her to go anywhere." Ice sighed, thinking about this. Emily lowered her head, looking like she was really thinking hard.

"Take her to Doc's," he said finally, "See if she can stay. If not, figure something out." With that, he walked off to join in a new poker game.

Emily loosened her grip on his arm, limping out beside him. "That's it?"

"I guess so. He told you he wasn't a bad guy." He bit his lip. "I, uh, I guess that's our cue to get to Doc's." He walked her to the door and then picked her up so she wouldn't be embarrassed. He could see her blush lightly anyway. "You're gonna like Doc," he said when they got out of the alley and back on the street. "He's a real nice guy. He runs a candy store 'cause he likes kids. He knew most of us Jets when we were kids."

"I bet that was nice." He nodded.

"It was. He was so nice to us. He'd give us discounts and take I.O.U.'s. He even gave some of us jobs when we got older, but there was really only one of us who could keep a job there. Tony..."


	3. Down at the Doc's

"Who's Tony?" she asked curiously.

Baby John frowned. "He's...Not with us no more."

She covered her mouth, blushing. "Oh. I'm sorry..."

He shrugged. "It's been a year. We're sort of used to it."

"Were you very close?"

"I pick-pocketed him one time." He chuckled at the memory. "The first time I met him was when me and my buddy A-Rab were short on cash. We would steal small amounts from bigger boys here and there, and one day I reached my hand into the wrong pocket. He spun around on me and served me the biggest sucker punch I ever got in my life. When A-Rab rushed over to help me, he beat the crud outa both of us. When he was finished, we were lying in the street begging for mercy. That's when he invited us to join his new club." She smiled in amusement, making him smile as well. "He said we fought pretty good and we could be useful. The club ended up being the Jets. I guess that's why I never had no problems being in a gang. It's kinda like a club, only it's closer people and nobody ever leaves. I guess that's your answer. We were all close. Especially me and A-Rab, and Tony and Riff."

"Riff? I've heard of him. He used to lead the Jets," she paused, "until..."

"Yeah." They both fell silent for a few, choking minutes. Baby John tried his best not to shed any tears in front of a lady.

"You know, I had a friend in Rafe's gang who died in a rumble. His name was Dog-Bite." She made a funny face. "You know, gangs give each other the funniest names. His real name was Liam. Liam Hoyland. I used to have the hardest time saying his last name." She chuckled, making him smile again. "He's the one who introduced me to Rafe. Back when he was nice." He noticed that his eyes were getting tired. He hoped that Doc wouldn't be too mad at him for waking him up so late. She sighed. "I bet Dog would be so disappointed in Rafe today."

"I bet Riff and Tony would be disappointed in Ice." His eyes went wide and he could feel his heard drop as he talked bad about his leader. "P-Please don't tell no one I said that!"

"Don't worry," she assured. "I won't tell." He let out a sigh.

"Good...He's not a bad leader. He's just...He's just a little tough, and he always seems so cold. That's one of the reasons we call him that."

"What's his real name?"

"It's Diesel."

She looked like she was considering this for a moment. "It fits him, I guess."

"Yeah," he smiled. "It's funny how people always look like their names. I don't know if I ever met a guy that didn't fit his name somehow. Nicknames always work better though 'cause they grow with the person rather than them growing into the name."

"That makes sense," she said casually. There was another silence, this time less choking, before she said "Okay, I think I can walk now."

"We're already here," he said with a small chuckle. Carefully, he set her down, allowing her time to support herself on her badly scraped feet. She looked around at where they were. There were fire escapes on either side of them and very few doors with windows on them.

"This is a candy store?"

"We're in the back," he clarified, taking her hand and leading her down a drafty little flight of stone steps, tensing up when she nearly stumbled.

"Ouch!" she hissed, stopping to let the pain pass.

"You okay?" She nodded, not completely convincing him, but they continued down the last few steps anyway. She stood a few steps up while he prepared himself to knock on some old man's door at an awful hour. Swallowing his nervousness, he raised his fist when the door in front of him clicked. Baby John jumped back, barely managing to avoid smacking into Emily.

The door creaked open, and a little brown mop strutted out the door. The door open a few inches more and a dusty old candy man in blue striped pajamas stuck his head out to watch it. When he saw Baby john and Emily, he nearly jumped out of his skin, letting out an awful shout. This made Baby John and Emily scream, and the tiny, stringy dog ran around their feet, barking. The door slammed shut.

They all stopped screaming, but the annoying little watch dog kept running around them and barking. "Doc!," Baby John shouted over the mad yapping. "Doc, it's Baby John! Open the door. Please, I want to talk to you." The noise maker kept barking until the door clicked open again. Doc stuck his head out again, and the dog ran to his feel, wagging its short, wiry tail and panting excitedly.

"Johnny? What are you doing here? Don't you know how late it is?"

"I know, Doc, I know. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to disturb you or nothin', but...uh, well, I got a favor to ask."

"Who's this?" he asked pointing behind him to Emily.

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about. I kinda got somethin' to ask you." The dog came out the door and lifted its leg uncomfortably close to Baby John. He jumped out of the way just in time to avoid having his foot soaked.

"Never mind, never mind," Doc said, "He's done, so just come in and we can talk about it." He turned around and walked inside, followed by the prancing little animal.

"Come on," Baby John said softly, offering his hand for Emily to help her inside. She took it and stepped down carefully, avoiding the dark stain on the bottom step. Once they were inside, Baby John closed the door and led her through the candy store basement. Crates of pop and boxes of candy sat along the walls, ready to be put out the next day. The dog came down the stairs to the shop and turned around, walking a few steps, then looking back like it was leading them to Doc. He helped her up the stairs, walking closely behind her in case she tripped. When they reached the top, Doc was pulling the shades so nobody would think his store was open.

"Sit down," Doc invited, waving to the stools by the candy bar. Baby John helped Emily up onto one. "So, you said you wanted to ask me something?" he asked, coming out from a back room with a plate of crackers and some water. The ropey little pooch cantered in after him, almost tripping him up. "Buster!" he scolded, but it didn't reach the excited animal's ears.

"That your dog?" he asked curiously.

"Do I look like a man who could keep up with that on a daily basis?" He didn't wait for an answer. "No, he's my niece's. She's out of town on business and she asked me if I could-" Doc's eyes widened, noticing the dark stains on his clothing for the first time. "Why are you all covered in blood?" He set the tray by Emily, who looked at the water like she wanted it, but didn't want to take it until she was invited. Doc set a glass in front of her.

Baby John explained the story to Doc in much the same way he explained it to Ice, only he didn't hesitate out of fear, but out of respect for Doc, and shame for having to tell him that he was involved in somewhat gang-related violence. Doc stared at him through the whole story like he was too tired to think about everything he was hearing. He didn't seem to mind so much to hear that he had done all this to protect a girl; he always was a fan of old-fashioned chivalry. He continued on to what happened at the "gathering" with Ice later. Doc frowned at the mention of his name. He never seemed to have a very high opinion of Ice, if he had a high opinion of anybody but Tony and maybe Baby John. Emily sipped on a cup of water, not really meeting either of their eyes. Buster the dog didn't take long to decide that he liked her. He jumped up on her lap almost right away and was sitting like a perfect prince while she petted him on the head.

"And so," he continued, "Ice told me I need to watch her and make sure she doesn't go back to the JP's, but I don't have nowhere to take her. My parents wouldn't let her stay at the apartment, and I don't have any money for her to be anywhere else. I need help, Doc. Could…C-could you take her; let her stay?" There was a thick pause. Doc rubbed the back of his neck. Emily kept her eyes on Buster like she was trying to stay out of the conversation.

"That's an awful lot to ask there, Johnny," Doc said finally, "Are you sure you can't take her anywhere else?" Baby John shook his head.

"I don't have much money, and my parents barely let me stay at their apartment. Please, Doc, just let her stay. She's quiet, and she's nice; you could trust her."

"You only just met her," he pointed out, sitting down behind the bar. He looked at her, leaning his head a little. She was petting Buster slowly, looking awkward and a bit sad. "Look, Missy, it's not that I don't think you're a good person, but you're on the wrong side of the tracks, and I've seen what being on the wrong side does to good people. My friend Tony…" Baby John's heart jumped a little, but he stayed quiet. "Sweetest guy you'd ever meet. He came into my shop one day, a big-hearted school boy," he looked at Baby John, "like most of you kids used to be. He was kind, selfless, and defensive of his friends. Then he went off with his buddy Riff to start a gang." Emily nodded, having heard this story from Baby John, but still listening to everything he had to say. "At first everything was okay. He and his buddies kept their gang life away from my store, and I tried to keep it out of my mind, but then other gangs started to move in and the big fights and…" Baby John turned his head away and stopped listening. He knew where this story ended up, and he didn't want to hear it any more. Emily kept listening though. He watched her face closely so he could tell when the story was over, humming to himself, not loud enough to distract them, but loud enough to distract himself.

She nodded every now and then, and she even made a comment or two and asked some very short questions. He didn't hear any of them, which was fine with him. The more time went by, the more lost he became in his own thoughts, and before he knew it, they were both looking at him. He froze, not sure if he was supposed to say or hear anything. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out, and Doc continued. "I just don't want to see the same thing happen to you, or her. This town doesn't need another West Side story."

Before Baby John could comment on a story he had not even been paying attention to, Emily spoke up. "But that can't happen to us. Maria was family with her gang. I was forced into it. And, and…" She hesitated, but what she said next made Baby John turn a bright, embarrassed red. "Tony and her were in love. I've never been in love, so I can't act like that." She looked down and went silent again. Doc rubbed the back of his neck, sighing. Only Buster's quiet whimpering as he licked Emily's hands could be heard, but the air was thick with Doc's thoughts. After several painful minutes of heavy silence, Doc went downstairs and left the two of them sitting there alone.

"That…I hurt you, didn't I?" Emily's quiet voice sounded out.

"No, no!" He said, maybe a little too loud and quickly. "Why would I be hurt?"

"Well, I…I said that…you—"

"It don't matter." He was being honest. It didn't matter what she said. He was always going to help her. He'd already decided that. And he only just met her anyway, like Doc said. It was stupid that he was letting a thing like that get to him. He put his hand out to pet Buster, but apparently the stringy mop had already decided that any hand coming toward Emily was trying to take his new friend away. He started barking loudly, and he yanked his hand away. Emily smiled and pet Buster's head until he quieted down. Then she took his hand and slowly brought it up to his back. He sniffed it, which made Baby John nervous, but he guessed the dog wouldn't try to bite him because he could accidentally bite Emily. He smiled and pet the dog, and when Emily removed her hand, she said "Don't stop," and Baby John was petting the dog on his own.

"How are you so good with animals?"

"I had a dog like this a while ago. His name was Coley."

"Coley," he repeated quietly. "That's a nice name." Emily smiled back at him, making him smile even more.

"He was mine and my sister Ruthy's. We used to play dress up with him. He wore our dolls' clothes and shoes." Her eyes sparkled with the memory.

"What happened to him?" he asked out of curiosity. He scolded himself for asking a question like that, but Emily didn't seem to mind it.

"He ran away one day when we put my favorite doll clothes on him. I guess he didn't like it." She smiled again, but this time, there was a hint of sadness behind it. She stroked Buster's side, and he rolled over in her lap.

The door to the basement swung open, and Doc was hauling some kind of a frame up under one arm, and a flat air mattress and bed dressings rolled up under his other. Baby John jumped up to help him out, taking the bed dressings and leaving him with the frame, which was lighter than he would have guessed on first glance. They set it up together, nobody asking any questions, because they were sure they knew what this meant.

"Here's the deal," Doc huffed, sitting on a stool to catch his breath, "She can stay." Emily's head perked up, and Buster's ears followed closely behind. Baby John knew he would say this, but the news still made his heart jump. "But, I expect you both to earn her stay." Emily nodded. "From now on, you both work here six days a week, nine o'clock to four thirty. I'll pay you if I feel like you've earned more than a night here. You," he pointed to Baby John, "You start tomorrow." He turned to Emily, and Baby John saw worry on his face. "You get back on your feet a few days. You can help with the dog, and I'll tell you about my store in that time."

Before he could contain himself, Baby John grabbed Doc's hand and shook it excitedly, saying "Thank you, Doc! Thank you! You won't regret this—she'll be a big help!"

"Yeah, yeah," he mumbled, but Baby John was too excited by the good news to see the risk Doc knew he was taking with this.

"Thank you," Emily said quietly, still betting Buster and smiling in her sweet, sad way.

Doc pulled a chewed up foot pedal from the cot frame and sighed when he saw the results of Buster's constant need to gnaw on things. Baby John took the air mattress, pressed the opening to his lips, and began to blow it up. He knew he'd be lightheaded after this, but at least Emily would have something soft to sleep on tonight, and he'd helped to make that happen. It was Ice's suggestion and Doc's store, but he still felt proud of the part he played in her life that night.

The walk home alone couldn't even bother him, because Emily would be there when he went to work in the morning.


	4. Cold Feet

The walk home alone bothered him.

He fiddled with his scrappy shirtsleeves and looked behind himself enough to be considered paranoid. Every sound he heard from birds to cars sounded like Raffe.

_"You'll regret this, both of you!"_

He tried to keep his mind on his mission to calm down. Emily couldn't be any older than eighteen, but if she was, maybe they could rent an apartment together—just so Emily could afford to live there. Maybe A-Rab would move in…

Getting an apartment meant that they would have to earn some money, and Doc would only pay them if they earned more than Emily's stay. Maybe Baby John could get another job. Something better he can do when he's not working there.

_Shoes_, he thought, _Emily needs shoes._ How was either of them going to afford a new pair for her? She couldn't work the store barefoot. Just then, something in a shop window caught his eye.

They were simple and black with a small bow on the top. Nice, comfortable looking shoes with the smallest heel a woman's shoe could possibly have. He never liked heels much. They always looked so uncomfortable.

He smiled brightly at the sweet-looking shoes. They looked so perfect for her. He looked at the small sign next to them "SALE: WAS $16.25 NOW $12.95!" His heart almost stopped. He didn't have near that much, and he was lucky if he could _keep_ that much longer than three days. He stared at the pretty little shoes, so close to him, but still so far away from her.

_It would be easy enough_, he thought. He pulled a small, mangled paperclip from the sole of his shoe and turned it over in his hands. Then he looked at the lock on the shop door. It was a small shoe place. They probably wouldn't have an alarm, and if they did, it would be so easy for him to grab the shoes from the window and be out of there before the shop owners showed up.

_It's for Emily…_He reached for the handle with the paperclip, but he saw that his hand was shaking. He'd never be able to undo the lock even if he _wanted_ to steal the shoes. Even if he wanted to…He didn't want to. He wanted Emily to have the shoes, but he didn't want to steal them from such a small shop. And it wasn't a nice shop either. They probably didn't have a whole lot of money in the first place.

_It's for Emily…_He reached for it again and tried to undo the lock, but his hands were shaking so much with the guilt that wasn't even his yet. He had to stop. Holding the paperclip up in his hand, he dropped his head and closed his eyes.

"Maybe I _can_ raise the money," he said quietly to himself.

"You always were the softest a Jet could be." The sudden comment startled him and he turned to see Ice leaning against the wall, almost completely invisible in the shadows. "You never could take anything that wasn't yours."

He shook his head." That's not true. I used to steal all the time. That's how I got here, in the gang."

"You used to steal all the time…" He came forward and reached for his hand, taking the paperclip from him. Baby John bit his lip, but he didn't say anything. "You've given back more than you've ever taken. You could be living the dream if you had just learned to stay cool and tell people no once in a while." He stuck the paperclip in the keyhole and moved it around smoothly. He could hear the tumblers falling over in the lock. "You're sweet, Baby John." He pushed the door in, and it didn't make a sound. The whole shop was dead silent. Ice's voice moved down to a whisper that sounded like something a snake would do, "That's your problem." He slipped inside and reached for the pretty black shoes.

"Ice," Baby John whispered. Ice looked at him to hear what he was about to say. He tried to say something, but no words came out of his mouth. _It's for Emily…_"Be careful." Ice shook his head, half-smiling. Baby John frowned as he watched Ice steal the shoes he just couldn't, quietly lifting them from their resting place, carrying them out of the shop and closing the door so smoothly and quietly that the little bell he never noticed on the door before didn't even tinkle.

Ice lifted Baby John's hands and placed both the shoes and the incriminating paperclip in his palms, closing his fingers around them. "Don't let her walk around here for a while," he said, turning back to face the shadows. "Unless of course, you think she'd be safer in jail." He walked away, leaving Baby John alone in front of the shop, holding the stolen shoes that moments ago were a fantasy for Emily. He looked at the tiny black bows with a strange mix of gratitude and disgust.


End file.
